MTWAPA, Kenya – It is hard to put into words all that we have experienced for the past week. Most of what we have come into contact with is completely different, even in this short amount of time.

We did not expect the pollution. There is a plethora of trash strewn everywhere. Literally everywhere. It is completely acceptable to finish a water bottle and throw it out of the van window as you are driving, as we saw a public transportation driver do. There aren’t any trash cans or landfills. Just piles on the side of the road – some are even right next to the street food markets. To get rid of the rubbish, sometimes they burn it. The smell of burning garbage is a familiar scent now.